Steam-distilled from the flowering tops of Rosmarinus officinalis, camphor chemotype. Fresh, sharp and balsamic, with an unmistakable camphorous bite.
(A note: this oil is often mislabelled as the cineole type. It is not — it is the camphor type, as the product name says, and the two are meaningfully different.)
Three rosemarys, and why the chemotype is not a detail
Rosemary produces genuinely different oils depending on where it grows. The plant is identical; the chemistry is not, and neither are the safety rules:
-
ct. camphor — this one. Highest in camphor. The sharpest, the strongest and the one with the most restrictions.
-
ct. 1,8-cineole — the eucalyptus-like type, common from Morocco and Tunisia. Opening and clean.
-
ct. verbenone — the gentlest and most expensive, softer and more herbaceous.
A recipe that says only "rosemary oil" is not a reliable recipe.
Because it is camphor-rich — please read
- Do not use it in pregnancy or breastfeeding.
-
Do not use it on children, and do not diffuse it around a baby. Camphor-rich and cineole-rich oils can trigger laryngospasm — a sudden closing of the airway — in infants and small children, with documented cases of serious harm.
-
Do not use it if you or anyone in the household has epilepsy, or any seizure disorder, without professional advice. Camphor is a convulsant at high doses and camphor-rich oils are on every standard caution list for this.
- Traditional practice also cautions against it in uncontrolled high blood pressure. The evidence is thin, but if you are treated for hypertension it is worth a word with your doctor.
- If you have asthma, be careful with diffusion.
What an essential oil may and may not claim
Camphor rosemary is commonly sold as "a warming, reviving massage oil for tired muscles and joints, especially before and after exercise". That claim does not appear here. A claim about muscles and joints is a medicinal claim, which a cosmetic or aromatic product may not make under EU law, and no health claim is authorised for any essential oil.
What it is genuinely good for
Scent and household use. It is the sharpest, most bracing herb note available, superb in a winter blend with pine, eucalyptus, lemon and cypress, and excellent in a homemade cleaning spray. As a smell it is the opposite of cosy — it is the smell of a clear head and an open window.
-
Diffusion: a few drops, ventilated room, short sessions. Not around children, pregnant women or pets.
-
On skin: one to two per cent in a carrier oil (6–12 drops in 30 ml), adults only. Patch test and wait 24 hours.
- Keep it off unsealed wood and painted surfaces.
Safety — the essentials
-
Never swallow essential oils without the direct supervision of a qualified health professional. Camphor is genuinely toxic if swallowed.
- Keep out of reach of children, in the original bottle with the child-resistant cap.
- In eyes: flush with plain vegetable oil rather than water.
- Accident or swallowing: in Portugal call CIAV on 800 250 250 — free, 24 hours. In an emergency, 112.
Storage: cool, dark, tightly closed, upright.
Propos'Nature
Propos'Nature
Propos'Nature
Propos'Nature
